Forgery of a Friend
by WildHorseFantasy
Summary: Elizabeth and a client have been kidnapped. A famous show dog is missing. And Peter Burke is officially too close to work the case. But official isn't Neal's specialty anyway.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own White Collar or it's characters, I'm just a visitor. Thank to those who created it.

**Chapter 1**

Sitting out on the evening shadowed back deck, the woman's finely manicured hand stroked Satchmo gently. He wagged his tail eagerly and Elizabeth smiled at her client.

"So it has to be a dog friendly event. Not often I get called on to cater this kind of party."

Ruby Miller smiled back. "A retirement party for a show dog." She motioned to the yellow lab at her side, a beautiful dog, far more pampered than the Burke's own pet.

Satchmo pawed at a rope toy. He dropped it, and turned back for a pat. Meanwhile the show dog sneakily grabbed the toy and slunk behind a bush with it. Satchmo suddenly looked around and pursued.

Elizabeth hid her smile behind her coffee mug. She suddenly had the image of Neal "looking shifty" as Peter called it. She doubted either Neal or Peter would appreciate the reference, but it was all she could do not to start laughing at the sudden imagined resemblance in the two dogs.

Her reverie was shattered by her client's gasp. She spun as a shadow loomed over her, waving a gun. "What..."

"Quiet!" The hooded man grabbed her and she struggled, even as she saw her client wrestled into submission by his companion.

"Where'd the dog go?"

"There"...a third man swam into view, aiming a gun. Satchmo leaped out, barking fiercely, far more aggressive than Elizabeth had ever seen him.

The man fired the gun as she squealed in horror. His sleeve rode up, revealing a tattoo. He hit her, hard. Her vision grayed. Satchmo leaped and he swung the gun. The last thing she heard as the shadows overwhelmed her was a yelp...

She woke to the sway of a van and voices. She let her eyes slit open, hoping the sudden pounding of her heart wasn't as loud as it sounded. The van stopped and she jammed her eyes shut. The door rolled open.

"You idiots! You were supposed to grab the dog! Not the owner! She can id me! And whose this?"

"A witness, she'd have called for help before we got a block."

"Oh, no. Get rid of them. I don't care how. Drop them off far away. "

"I didn't sign on for killing," someone squeaked.

"There out cold. Didn't see ya."

" Dump them in the middle of nowhere and let 'em hike to the phone then. I don't care, just give me the dog."

A dragging sound... "What is that?"

"The dog."

"Oh, I am surrounded by morons. That is no show dog! It's a household pet! Get rid of it!"

Satchmo...Oh Satchmo...

The cab approaching the Burke's swerved to avoid the dog limping by the road. Startled out of thought by the driver's swearing, Neal looked out the window and did a double take, turning all the way around on the seat.

"Stop!"

"Eh?" The driver slammed on the brakes, then swerved to the road side.

"Wait here." Neal dove out. He didn't analyze how he knew it was Satchmo instead of any of a number of strays. But he did. "Satchmo?"

The dog whined and limped up. Neal took in the scuffed coat and wobbly walk. His phone was in his hand immediately.

"Peter..."

Neal climbed out of the cab to find Peter marshalling the troops via phone. The cab driver, took the extra bonus for the dog – who had _certainly_ never been allowed in _his_ cab- and took off. Neal noted that he'd never seen Peter so frantic.

The man kneeled before Satchmo as he disconnected. "What happened, Satchmo?"

The lab whined and licked him.

"He was pretty wobbly when I found him. I think he was drugged."

"Yeah," Peter held up note. "Found this out back. Ransom note for a dog named Roland something something... "

Neal's eyes widened. "So. Where is this Roland?"

"Dunno, but El had a client some dog show lady...and she was going to bring her dog. El said it was some sort of soiree for the dog's retirement party?" Peter shook his head. I think she met her in the park, and they were both walking the dogs."

"Any excuse for wine and cakes..." Neal observed.

"And dog biscuits."

Neal frowned. "Dog showing is a big business. So someone meant to grab the show dog and grabbed Satchmo too? Or did they think he was this Roland?"

"Mistake Satchmo for a show dog?" Peter was shaking his head.

Neal managed a flicker of a smile. "Take it as a compliment. I can just see you trotting around the ring with him..."

"Ha! Hang out with the snobs! Me and Satch?"

He had succeeded in distracting him from his worry. But only for a moment. Then the frown returned.

"So why take them?"

"You sure they didn't just run or leave the dogs here and go out?"

Peter shook his head. "I can't reach El, anyway..." He held up two purses.

Neal shook his head too.

"Something went wrong, they grabbed the wrong dog, maybe they just took them, so they wouldn't call the police until they got Roland away, maybe out of the country."

"Out of the country? For a ransom?"

"They might want him for breeding."

Cars were pulling up outside. "All the dogs in shelters, or needing homes... and they have to kidnap one just because he has some ribbons and a long name with a paper pedigree...Peter shook his head and fondled Satchmo sadly. The big dog thumped his tail and whimpered.

As the Jones, Dianna and the team hit the front door, Neal stepped into the kitchen and called Mozzie.

"You want me to look for a WHAT?"

Neal smiled, picturing the look on Mozzie's face. For sure, this was not there usual kind of crime. Then his eyes narrowed. "We think they have Elizabeth and a client of hers Moz."

"Mrs. Suit? I'm in!"


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

The ransom note that arrived put an end to the questions. Clearly, the kidnappers did not have the dog. But they did have Elizabeth and Ruby Miller, according to the photograph which showed the two woman, tied up.

"That dog is worth ten thousand dollars!" Ruby Miller's husband explained. It was hard to tell whether he was more panicked over the kidnapping of his wife or the missing dog.

Jones looked bewildered, glanced at Neal. He shrugged.

"I'm not a dog expert. But I know there is all the training and championships and the fees for the stud and all that..."

Jones looked at Peter. "Don't look at me. We watch a few dog sports and throw a ball now and then but showing? Nada." His gaze turned back to the photo, his hands clenched and unclenched.

A more detailed message came through at ten that night. The kidnappers would trade the women for Roland. They were to tie the dog to a certain railing in Central Park at five in the morning. The women would be left at the other end of the park. The trouble, of course, was that they didn't have the dog.

Jones went out to consult Dianna. Peter looked strained. His head was in his hands, leaning on his desk.. "Hughes says I can't work the case because I'm too close too it. I'm totally out of the loop." Peter growled. He glared helplessly out the window.

"Now you see how I felt about..." Neal checked himself. Peter swung the glare on him. It softened and then then tightened again to fear. Whichever of them was right about Kate's true motives, she had wound up dead. In spite of their sparring and differences, it was not a pain – or even fear of a pain – that Neal would willingly inflict on Peter.

"So what are you going to do?"

"I can't do anything." Peter's voice was slightly bitter, but his eyes met Neal's and the shadow of a rueful smile appeared.

"Right. See you...Peter..."

Peter glanced up.

"We _will_ get her back." Neal said firmly.

Peter watched as he strode off, knowing he meant it, and knowing too, since Kate's death, there were no guarantees. Not even for Peter and Elizabeth.

Officially Neal was out of the loop too. Unofficially, it was no big thing to spill coffee on the guy with some files coming out of Hughes office. The man cursed.

"Hey, I am really sorry..."

"You've ruined the files!"

"Sorry. Let me run some fresh copies for you."

"No, I'll do it,' snarled the impatient agent. "You just trash these." He threw the ruined files at Neal. Neal smiled as he slipped them under his jacket and went out the door.

"Honestly, this is not the agent I'd trust to rescue Mrs. Suit. He doesn't even have sense enough to know coffee stains do not make a document illegible."

"Maybe not, but he's handling the exchange."

"How comforting. Is he tagging it?"

"What?"

"They tagged you." Moz motioned to the tracking anklet. "They should tag the dog."

"We don't have the dog. They'll just watch to see if anyone shows looking for the money. They'd have to lock the collar on it anyway Moz, it would look suspicious...unless..." Neal stared out into the night without really seeing it.'

"They have implants."

"I know they can implant an information chip but with GPS?"

Mozzie showed him the repaired documents and held up the folder he'd brought.

"Now that dog really is insured for a boatload of cash." Neal studied the page.

"But this is where it gets interesting. Ruby Miller's husband, Jack, bought the dog...get this...for $900 from Simon Antelli. Simon Antelli got the dog as a puppy from Lisa Horroway. "

"Another dog show person?"

"Right. There's just one problem. Lisa Horroway's body was found last week. There was some evidence she was murdered, before the dog would even have been bred, let alone sold."

Neal winced. "I'm sure the feds know that, but I don't know that they've connected it. Maybe I should give them a heads up."

"But I found this. Antelli owed big money to a loan shark. Loan shark was having an affair with Holloway, rumor has it she tried to shake him down." Moz shook his head.

Neal considered the dark outside frowning. Shadows and crime and money he knew. Murder he knew nothing of, but cons...

"Could be a forged pedigree would lead to the killer."

"Or even if it's on the up and up, they may have to prove it. They do have the scientific testing to prove the bloodlines. And if the dog goes to stud, and is insured," Mozzie waved his hands.

"It could still lead to the killer. Whoever claimed they bought the dog from her after she was already dead. The breeder would have to be involved somehow."

"Neal, I don't like the idea of Mrs. Suit being held by these guys. One of them might be a killer. Are you going to tell him?"

"Not yet...Unless..." It was ironic really. It flitted through Neal's mind how Peter felt all those times he'd kept what he knew about Kate a secret. As suspicious as it made him at the time ,he had to admit, he probably just didn't want to watch him worry when he couldn't do anything.

"So there just gonna stake out the place and hope these people show. And hope they can recognize them. Like all criminals are that stupid."

"Some are. They grabbed the wrong dog."

"And grabbing Mrs. Suit wasn't too smart either. I hope she doesn't tell them she's married to a fed."

"Of course, we could be a bit more inconspicuous." Moz noted casually.

"Uh huh." Neal smiled. "Now if it were us...how would we do it."

"We need a way to convince the whoever is that you can get them the dog."

"Which we can't find." Neal said slowly. "Unless...do you know any good dog groomers?"


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Peter gaped at Neal. "You can't be serious!"

"Why not? It worked before?"

"You can't just 'forge' Satchmo into a show dog!"

"We can do this Peter. He doesn't have to fool them for long. Whoever is behind this doesn't want to show themselves. That means they're stuck hiring people that don't know the difference."

Peter got up and paced around his office. He hadn't been able to bring himself to go home, while the search for Elizabeth was going on. The stakeout team was just leaving. He drew in a deep breath, let it out in a sigh.

"Peter..., " Neal glanced around. "Where's Mr. Miller?"

"Waiting by the phone. All right."

Neal glanced up questioningly.

"I'm...we're in. Unofficially. Officially, Roberson is in charge of the case and he'll never go for it."

"Let's get Satch."

Word via Mozzie mysteriously leaked that a fellow named Nick Halden had won a certain prize show dog in lieu of cash in a poker game and wanted to know what it was worth.

They sat going over files in Peter's living room.

"Where does he get this stuff?" Peter demanded, eyeing the data Moz had dug up.

"You don't want to know."

The ringing phone made Peter jump.

"Geez, Peter." Neal held up his hand. "Hello?"

A voice on the other end growled. "It seems one of my people has given you something that belonged to me."

"Oh? And what might that be?" Neal congratulated himself on his guess that the thug had hired people with debts to grab the dog. If this was who they suspected, it made sense that his connections would be gamblers.

"I think you know."

"Roland, I presume?"

Silence.

"What's it worth to you." Neal could feel Peter's eyes glued to him.

"Your life."

Neal winced, fear tingling. He wasn't concerned for himself. But Elizabeth and an innocent woman were in this man's hands. The sudden image of a plane exploding made him catch his breath."

"I see we understand each other."

Neal cursed silently. Never reveal your true feelings unless it helped the con. In this case, it probably didn't.

"I was just thinking a finder's fee. Nothing too huge...say $8,000." Neal put on his best, confident act.

"Or maybe we don't." The voice had deepened. Neal could feel the hate right through the phone. He glanced down to find even Satchmo was riveted to him. Suddenly he felt reluctant to put Satchmo in play. He was just Satchmo, a sweet loving lab, not Rin Tin Tin.

"Hey, there have been some expenses. New grooming job, the best of food, a beautiful female girl dog..."

"Gantry Plaza, you and the dog. Alone."

"I can't believe I'm letting you do this." Peter grumbled. He kneeled, putting a special collar on Satchmo with a GPS. It looked like something an expensive show dog would wear anyway. Then he turned, hesitated and unlocked Neal's anklet.

"The irony is, he really needs a leash less than you."

"Can I lay around and guard your house too?"

"No. You'd probably invite in all sorts of strays."

"Elizabeth likes strays..."

Peter looked the two of them over, Satchmo done up to a glorious yellow sheen and Neal, looking like...well, Neal, ready for mischief.

"Neal..."

"It'll work." Neal flipped his fedora on his head and gripped the leash.

"Yeah. Of course it will." Peter gave Satchmo a final pat. Then stepped back and watched as they walked off. A shiver of fear tightened his stomach. His wife threatened and his dog being handed over to possible murderers by his partner, who would also be in danger. It was one of those moments when he realized how much he had to be thankful for and how much he had to lose. Times like this he was grateful for Neal's shady past. It gave them just a little different edge, a change of perspective that might make all the difference at moments like this. And how many feds had a 'former' criminal that would put themselves at risk when they didn't have anything to gain but the gratitude of their partner?

Neal strode to the rendezvous. Satchmo whined and he glanced down, relaxing his fist. The dog settled into a trot alongside. Peter's pet was far more likely to give away his con. He could sense the confidence he had to fake. Of course, before Kate had died, he'd had to do a lot less faking. Back then the confidence was real. He fought the tension. It was Elizabeth, not just a piece of stolen goods up for grabs now. And if anything went wrong, what would it do to Peter? He could lose his wife, his dog, and … well, it might not turn out so great for Neal either. If something went wrong, he'd want to blame everyone around for a time. He may even blame Neal, Neal ought to know. The traitorous thought that Peter was to blame for Kate's death, or at least not letting him die with her, occasionally reared up. He bashed it back down as firmly as a child smashing the target in a whack-a-mole carnival game. It was unfair of him and he knew it. Whatever their disagreements, he trusted Peter. They just had a different view of right, wrong and what was best at times.

The woman that pulled up at the dock startled him. She motioned to him. Opened the bag and he saw the green of cash. She held out one hand for the bag. "Roland."

Neal grabbed the bag and handed over Satchmo. The dog barked and struggled as she pulled him in. She frowned suspiciously. A gun appeared in her hand. Neal hesitated.

""If this is a trick, we'll find you and get our money back. And leave you and the dog full of holes. Don't doubt we know the right people."

She motored off.

"They fell for it again!" Peter exclaimed, lowering the binoculars and caught between relief and dismay. He was not happy about the boat. It would be harder to follow from the road. Mozzie was not happy to have Peter leaning over him, staring at the display. He was tracking them as well as Jones, because Jones leaving in the middle of the 'official' investigation would've looked suspicious.

"Are you sure about this?"

"Yes. Aha! They're going ashore!" Peter jumped in the car and gunned the motor as Moz jumped in the back seat. They shot out of the parking lot, then screeched to a stop in front of Neal, who barely got in and the door shut before they took off again.

"Peter, maybe you should let me drive." Neal's eyes were wide and he held on tight to the door.

"Nope." Peter shot through city streets at far faster than the normal safe speeds. Moz looked up, cringed at the buildings flying past and looked quickly back at the laptop.

"Maybe you should've invested in a doberman or something." Moz remarked. "Even if they mistook it for a show dog it would've been more intimidating."

Peter glared back in the mirror at Moz.

"The road! Watch the road!" Neal objected as they zoomed up on a truck that was slowing to stop and turn."

Peter hit the brakes and swerved.

"Or not." Moz blinked.

"I'd have a consultant with his leg chewed off. Such dogs are equally aggressive to people sneaking in the back door after a jail break."

Neal blinked. "I like Satch."

"Exactly. If he had hands, he'd open the door and let you in himself."

Moz yelped suddenly. The phone rang a moment later. Peter answered it.

"Jones?"

"We lost the signal."

Peter swore, making Neal jump. He glanced back at Moz. Mozzie shook his head, frantically tinkering with his laptop. He'd lost it too.

"It's intermittent. We're close, but there must be something blocking the signal."

Peter pulled over and closed his eyes, opened them and looked around, scowling. "Well, this is where we lost them."

They looked silently up and down the docks. There weren't many people about and they all had the air of 'I mind my own business, don't ask.'

"Let me walk around a bit."

Moz hopped out, waving his gadget. Neal followed and stuck with him. He glanced back to see Peter heading purposefully for the nearest people.

"Think he'll be alright?"

"Peter? I've never seen him like this..."

"They won't talk to him. He's too..., well, obviously a cop."

"They'll talk to me." Neal finally veered off.

As it turned out, Neal didn't have to do much conning. He flashed cash and said he'd lost a yellow dog, had anyone seen it. The neat dress suit was out of place in the neighborhood, but the implication of cash loosened tight lips.

"Mutt stole my sandwich an hour ago. Went that way," growled a bearded man, with penetrating eyes."

"Thanks."

This wasn't what he was looking for, but he got several similar stories. He and Mozzie met two blocks in an area with old buildings.

Mozzie looked around. "Lots of metal to block a signal here..."

"Anything on the dog?"

"No, but a lot of people saw a stray."

"I got that too, you don't suppose..."

Mozzie looked at him. "The noble beast is tracking it's master and looks like a stray because it's been in the garbage?"

Neal smiled. "Last report..." he and Moz turned and looked in the same direction.

With sudden increased urgency they strode up the street, looking at the buildings on each side for a stray yellow lab. Neal kept turning sideways and looking under cars. Mozzie's head swiveled. Pacing around a run down storage shed set against a corner house, a yellow dirty lab was sniffing.

"Roland." Neal called softly.

Mozzie spun and looked.

The dog looked up, and gave him a questioning look, whined and sniffed at the door. He ran toward a battered stack of crates along a wall, made a leap and bounced up to the lower roof of the first floor.

Neal grinned.

"Moz, find Peter." And expertly scrambled up after the dog.

A bark from inside was answered by Roland, no, there were several barks. Surely Satchmo alone wasn't behind that cacophony? Neal frowned, hurried forward and grabbed the dog's collar. Under the filth, fancy studs pricked his palm. He inched along the shingles to the nearest window and peered in.


	4. Chapter 4

The brightly colored lab ambled beside the woman into the building. Her blond hair and firm stride marched her up the aisle. She turned and stared down at the dog.

"Roland!" She said in a commanding voice.

Satchmo ignored her. He sniffed the carpet and whined, yanked loose and ranup the stairs to the door of a back room.

Inside the room, Elizabeth and Ruby looked at each other from the chairs they were tied in.

"They've got Roland. They'll let us go now." Ruby said in an uncertain voice. "But, oh, Roland, he's not just a show dog, he's my dog."

Elizabeth frowned, pulling at the bindings. "I wish we could be sure about them letting us go. That one man seemed to thing you'd know him."

Outside the door, the barking became persistant. A woman raised her shrill voice. Ruby looked up, eyes wide. "That sounds like .."

"I didn't have time to look close, someone might've seen us. This Halden will pay for this. I'll shoot the dog and leave it on his doorstep and then I'll get some people I know to get that money back doubled out of him.

Elizabeth looked up sharply, cutting off Ruby with a gasp. Halden. One of Neal's aliases. The door opened and Satchmo bounded in and up to her. He tried to climb in her lap.

"That's the same bloody dog we already got rid of once!"

Ruby paled, her eyes bored into Elizabeth. She knew who they were. And Elizabeth sensed Ruby was no Neal Caffrey when it came to cons. One look at her expression could give her away.

Satchmo barked. More barking came from below...were there more dogs here? Another bark came from outside.

"Shut the bloody dog up!"

The door opened and one of the thugs stormed in. He wore no mask now and the realization gave Elizabeth a chill. He made a grab for Satchmo and Elizabeth yelled, kicking hard at him. He stumbled, rose his hand. The window behind slid open as it rose and a figure dove in. It grabbed the hand, yanking him the man off balance. The thug reached for his gun only to find the slender man had somehow picked it out of the holster.

"What's going on in there?" The tattoo wrist thug came in right as a yellow furred blur shot through the window. He tripped and found himself tumbling to the window. A hand reached in and yanked him out, Peter scrambled though, gun at the ready. Two dogs circled the room. Neal emptied the gun and handed it to Peter as soon as the villain was cuffed. He made short work of the woman's ties.

Ruby had her arms around Roland.

"Sandra Cordomo.' She spoke into the dirty fur. The woman, she was selling Roland's siblings, same parents, both sides. And the man is Simon Antelli. He's a dog trainer. Rumor has it...he has ties to the Bolini crime family.

"Dog trainer, that expl..." Elizabeth interrupted Peter with a smothing hug that nearly knocked him over.

A short form barreled through the door, charging and snarling.

Satchmo and Roland turned as one, snarling back.

Peter jerked back and rose the gun. Neal made a grab, catching the labs collars and yanking them back. The leaping dog followed and the gun exploded. The dog crashed face first to the floor with a yelp and hard thud.

Ruby had the presence of mind to slam the door before more followed.

Peter was shaking, still holding his wife in one arm. Neal let Ruby take Roland and gently Satchmo pulled loose and went to Peter. The gun was still extended and he kept blinking. Neal went down gently looking the dog over.

"Looks like show dogs aren't all that this trainer is into." His eyes roved the bite and scar markings. "This one was trained to fight." Neal's mouth was set and he looked oddly vulnerable. There was something about people hurting an innocent creature that made him sick. He glanced up at Peter, aware of the dismay on his partner's face. "They would've had to put it down anyway though. It would've been to dangerous to adopt out." He looked at Elizabeth wistfully, then away. If only his story with Kate had ended up with him rescuing her, holding her like Peter now held Elizabeth.

Elizabeth had turned away and jumped as Moz appeared in the window. "Your allies have arrived. I've no doubt you'll be fine now. His eyes widened at the site of the dead animal. "Oh. I'll be going now..."

Peter didn't put the gun down until he heard the FBI below. Then he put it in the holster and kneeled and reached to the dog. Satchmo nuzzled up. When the door opened Dianna and Jones looked in, giving Neal a questioning look. He shrugged.

"So Simon kills Horroway to keep her from giving away the affair. He takes the dog – Lady Leo to Sandra Cordomo to keep, she breeds her and we have Roland. They claim his dam is Lady Contessa, who had died a few months before." Neal explained, sitting in the Burke's back yard.

"But we can prove now that Holloway was killed before this, and breeding the dog could reveal his bloodline is fake." Peter shook his head.

"Forged pedigree." Neal smirked.

Peter glared. "Pedigree isn't everything. I wouldn't trade Satchmo."

"But it does make a difference when choosing which dogs get bred to which. Of course, it's also true in America there is a trend to breed more for looks than performance." Ruby explained.

Neal sipped his wine, hiding a smile.

Elizabeth, who smiled as she swept up with Satchmo. He sniffed at Roland, who was laying at Ruby's feet and then flopped by Peter.

A large dog shaped cake sat as a centerpiece.

Neal gaped as Moz marched out the back door.

Mozzie bowed and offered the tray. "Your bone ma'am." Mozzie grinned, pleased with himself. I managed to track down the greatest dog treat cake recipe ever known. And the kind chefs at 'The Greatest Cake' prepared it for free. A reward for the dog's who helped take down a nasty dog fighting ring.

Neal coughed, sputtering into his wine. A slow smirk crossed Peter's face. Both dog's were looking up at the tray and wagging their tails.

Peter got up and followed Elizabeth into the kitchen. "That was fun."

"Rescuing me?"

"No. I mean, yes. I mean, well, I just realized something about Neal and Mozzie."

"What's that?"

"They can still throw each other for a loop as well as they can throw me. Kind of comforting."

Elizabeth glanced down at the two dogs, tails wagging as they jostled each other to be near that tempting cake. "Take a lesson from the dogs," she smiled at Peter. "Take them as they are and hope for the best. You know you can count on them when it's the most important." She smiled and winked. "Like you and Neal. Totally opposite, one all slick and one just down to earth, but somehow, you make a great team." Peter suddenly wished they were alone. Laughter brought his head around.

It was true enough, about Neal and Mozzie. They'd helped him get back what mattered most. He studied Neal, thoughtfully. He knew Neal as well as anyone, what mysteries still lay in his 'pedigree'? He knew Neal didn't quite trust him with what he cared about the way he'd trusted him to help rescue Elizabeth. "Yeah, but I don't have to worry about Satchmo picking my pocket."

Elizabeth smiled. "Actually you might have to look over there under the bush. I followed Satchmo when he buried something there right before Ruby arrived this morning."

Peter looked uncertainly at her than rose, followed her back out. As she offered Ruby coffee, he leaned over and reached under the bush. He dug at the soft spot, pulled out a box and groaned. "Oh no, no, no."

Neal ambled cockily over and peered over his shoulder. A smirk rose on his lips and he started to snicker.

"It's not funny...stop laughing!"

The woman looked puzzled and Mozzie looked up.

Neal was trying not to laugh and clearly not succeeding. The animal wasn't so innocent after all. "Way to go Satchmo. But don't get caught. You'll go to canine jail."

"Not helping, Neal!"

"Honey, what is it?"

"Our dog has been stealing the federal mail...I think it's someone's holiday fruit cake..."


End file.
